Midwest Living Review

Melanie Radzicki McManus

Sip a little high-quality, locally made craft beer at this riverside brewery.

Fletcher Street Brewing Company doesn’t look much like a brewery from the exterior nor does it have good signage. And the brewery doesn’t really advertise. Plus, it’s gone through several incarnations since it first opened in 2003. But none of this should deter you from stopping in, because the beer brewed here is great stuff.

Housed in an enormous gray building that was once part of Alpena’s Fletcher Paper Co.—specifically, its lumber and sulphite mill—the brewery features a small copper bar area with views straight through glass windows into the brewing operations. Two sprawling rooms extend off the bar; one features tables and booth seating, the other is largely empty and used for special events, live entertainment, karaoke and trivia. Another door leads to a sprawling outdoor seating area facing the Thunder Bay River.

Customers can order from a selection of eight or so quality beers including bitter pale ales, lighter bocks, cold-filtered lagers and hearty stouts ($4 a pint). Having trouble making up your mind? Try a sampler of any five for $7. Handcrafted sodas are also available, as is a smattering of bar food along the lines of brats, hot dogs and nachos.